Alfa 1.8 T-Spark Oil Pressure Issue

[Cinq999]

I bought an Alfa 145 1.8 T-Spark last weekend....and the day after, it developed an oil pressure issue.

Just wondering if anybody has any experience with these engines.

It drove the 300 miles home no problem. The next day, drove 30 miles, parked up for a couple of hours, came back, started the engine, and the oil pressure light was on. Checked oil level, all fine. Started again, light still on, and after about 10 seconds, top end started to become noisier. At that point I turned off engine and called the AA.

To cut a long story short, my mechanic has taken the sump off, and the oil pickup in the sump is fine....the sump in general is very clean.

So....he's going to run a pressure test on the pump, and see if its working or not.

The pump has a sprung sliding pressure valve built in. According to the manual, if this gets stuck open, it vents straight back to the sump.

It seems its a common problem with the 2.0.....but the 1.8 has a very slightly different oil pump....externally identical....so possibly something slightly different inside? I've bought a 2.0 oil pump off Ebay for £10....so I was hoping to swap the spring and piston over.

Has anybody had any experience of this before? Is it possible just to replace the valve? The pump is £250 from Alfa.....

 

[The Beard]

In addition to the Panda we also have an Alfa 156, but with the 2 litre TS motor. It's on 91,000 miles and so far seems to be running very well; the oil pressure light goes out within a second of starting, hot or cold. I don't know where you live, but if you go on to the Alfa Owners' Club site alfaowner.com , they have a technical section as well as a Good garages thread. We take ours (Panda & 156) to Heath Road Garage in Sandbach. Alfie is very knowledgeable when it comes to Alfas and always does a no-nonsense, professional and well priced job. He also apprenticed and worked for several years at Mangoletsi the Alfa dealer near Knutsford in Cheshire.

Good luck, they're good engines and sound good as well

 

[Cinq999]

Got the problem sorted. The pressure valve in the oil pump had jammed open, allowing oil to go directly back to the sump. Removed the spring and piston, cleaned it all up snd reassembled, and it all works fine.